Posts by Staff
“Takada Castle Cherry Blossom Viewing Event” by Shingo Kawamura
On April 19 (Sat), Kodo performed at the “Takada Castle Cherry Blossom Viewing Event” at Takada Castle, which is renowned as one of “Japan’s Top 3 Evening Cherry Blossom Spots.”
We worried about the weather as it was raining there the day before the performance. But luckily a beautiful blue sky welcomed us all on the performance day.
We gave two performances and the second one started at 18:00. It was chilly at night, but many people came to see our performance! We were very glad to see everyone there.
The performance was a week after the cherry blossom season peak, so the cherry blossom petals had started to fall from the trees… but everyone got to see some surprise petals on the Kodo stage!
It’s not just confetti, it’s a special cherry blossom version! At these performances, beautiful, real cherry blossom petals flew out from Chieko’s fan.
Thank you everyone that came along!
“New Apprentices Start Their First Year at the Kodo Apprentice Centre” by Michiko Chida
The entrance ceremony for the Year 33 (2014-2015) class of Kodo Apprentices was held on April 6 and now one week has passed. They are probably so nervous about beginning this new lifestyle, but all of the 12 new apprentices have been doing well. I will introduce their week of firsts with some pictures.
Dance lesson with Chieko Kojima
Ranjo-san’s shinobue (bamboo flute) making workshop
Taiko lesson with Tomohiro Mitome
(They do not use bachi (drumsticks) in their first lesson: they use Japanese fans and towels.)
Rice field work (Selecting rice seeds)
Standing by the rice fields and singing a song facing out to sea
Kiyoko Oi teaches all the new apprentices how to make chopsticks from one shared bamboo stick
“Today’s Treats at Kodo Village” by Sayo Tsuji
Here are today’s treats: “Sunny Bread” made by Kiyoko Oi, rolled sushi made by Yoshie Honma’s mom and dried persimmons by Tsugumi Yamanaka. What a spread!
“Spreading the Word About the Upcoming Asakusa Concerts” by Naomi Iseki
The “Kodo One Earth Tour 2014: Mystery” Asakusa Performance postcards are ready to be distributed!
These advertising postcards will be placed on shop counters throughout Asakusa soon.
We hope that many people will pick them up, spread the word, and come along!
“Kodo One Earth Tour 2014: Mystery” Performances in Asakusa, Tokyo (June 21-25)
http://www.kodo.or.jp/oet/index_en.html#schedule05a
“One Year Down, One to Go! Update on the 2nd-year Apprentices” by Michiko Chida
After seeing off the apprentices from the year above them in January, there were only 8 new 2nd-year apprentices living together at the Apprentice Centre until they welcomed the new 1st-year apprentices in April. They had to adjust their relationship and learn to cooperate as such a small group. And, they had to deal with the harsh Sado Island winter for the first time.
Through this season, they really had to face each other and take a good look at themselves. But, what they gained from this time must become their energy for their new start as 2nd years.
The apprentices came through this challenging season and by the end of March they’d had a lot of new memorable experiences.
Yoko Fujimoto’s “Voice Circle”: 2 days/1 night with Yoko Fujimoto, spent learning songs and listening to the stories. At the end, they sang Hinei Ma Tov to each other.
“Premiere of ‘FLAMENCO Sonezaki Shinju'” by Narumi Matsuda
Tsuyoshi Maeda from Kodo appeared in “FLAMENCO Sonezaki Shinju.”
The opening night performance was held on April 2 at the New National Theatre. It was a really enjoyable flamenco and live music programme. Tsuyoshi played taiko throughout the production and had a key role in each scene.
Here are pictures of the gorgeous lobby at the theater and Tsuyoshi working hard to tighten the ropes of the taiko all by himself.
“FLAMENCO Sonezaki Shinju” at New National Theater in Apr. 2 (Wed) – 6 (Thu)
Kodo Apprentice Centre Entrance Ceremony
On April 6, we had a joint 2014 entrance ceremony for the Kodo Apprentice Centre and Fukaura Gakusha (Community Development Course).
From this year, the shape of the Kodo Apprentice Centre has changed and now there are two courses on offer: one for training Kodo performing members and a human-resource-education course focused on community-development initiatives, designed to both to contribute to the development of our home of Sado Island and to spur local development all over Japan.
The participants from each course met at the entrance ceremony for the first time. The 2 participants in the community development course had already started their program. The 12 apprentices hoping to become Kodo performers arrived on the day of the ceremony, on this bus. United at the Kodo Apprentice Centre, they all vowed to make their dreams come true.
“Forest Working Bee at Kodo Village” by Satoshi Nakano
Apr. 8, 2014
The mild winter is over and the weather on Sado is unseasonably warm now. All the members of the Kodo Group, who were scattered apart on various tours and projects, assembled in Kodo Village today.
Today is the day when performers and staff work together, welcoming the start of the new work year with a working bee in the Kodo Village forest. This is when the new first-year Kodo apprentices meet all the members of the Kodo Group for the first time.
The work is mainly to gather trees that have been lumbered throughout the forest, chop them into firewood and kindling, take them to the woodpile and stack them; ready to burn next winter at Kodo Village.
It’s a chance to see a different side of our colleagues than we get to see on an average work day. I look forward to this forest working bee each year because I can learn more about everyone.
“The Opening of Sado’s Festival Season” by Michiko Chida
April 1st, Sado’s Festival Season is About to Begin!
First up is the village of Suginoura in Akadomari. Lucky them, they were blessed with great weather for their festival this year! The indigo blue sea is right in front of you when you are in their village and you can almost feel the sea in your body just by standing there.
“On Tour in Europe” by Jun Akimoto
Now the time has come for our final performance of “Kodo One Earth Tour 2014: Legend” in Europe, which will be held in Moscow, Russia.
I’d like to share a selection of photographs from our tour through Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Estonia.
We gave drumsticks to one of the company’s that looks after us in Europe as a special present for their 30th anniversary. Performer Yosuke Kusa drew a scene from “Mystery” on them in beautiful detail.
The end of our tour in Germany! Here we are gathered around our tour manager Friederike (pictured center). ▶ read more